Can you serve both the over-21 crowd and families?   You would think that an Irish tavern in New England, which opened its doors after Prohibition was repealed in the 1930s, would place a high priority on alcohol sales. You would think wrong. In...

Giving your product away for free to build sales may seem like a business oxymoron. But as the old saying goes, you have to spend money to make money. And although there is no such thing as a free lunch, food sampling is the next best thing for opera...

Dining room expansion gives you plenty of options Eight years ago, when competing pizza chains choked his business, Jim Jacobs renovated his dining room, adding a lunch buffet at Pisanello’s Pizza in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The result was magic. ...

The idea of sitting at a table with complete strangers terrifies some, while energizing others. A table that seats eight to 16 may be considered communal-, gathering- or family-style, and it is a restaurant design concept that is building steam. Data...

Is a pizza buffet right for your restaurant? Introducing a buffet to the lunch or dinner hour can be a great way to draw in customers with a minimal equipment investment. But buffets can be wasteful and put food costs and food supply orders out of op...

Be in tune with rules for successful broadcasting   Even though pizza was created (and perfected) well before television was invented, they go together as if they were made for each other. Having a slice while watching the game is a great way to...

Nothing goes better with pizza than reclaimed wood. At least that’s one big trend in restaurant design right now. Operators and design experts say as the new year opens, emerging concepts and longtime restaurants are looking to classic finishes to ...

Coal-fired oven or wood-fired oven, which is better? Every time I teach a course at the International School of Pizza I have students ask me if my coal-fired or wood-fired oven is better. After all, Neapolitan, Old-World and artisan-style pizzas are ...

In-store marketing can help promote menu items   Michael Durkin worries that his regular customers will get tired of ordering the same pizza every time they visit his two-location Durkin’s Pizza in McKinney, Texas. “One of the things I learn...

Easy ways to improve external security   Criminals are always looking for easy targets. They will take advantage of any opportunity that makes a business look weak or vulnerable. Burned out lights hide their lurking. Unlocked doors invite them i...

Is there a magical formula for floor plans?   In Somerville, Massachusetts, a small pizzeria called “A4 Pizza” packs a punch in just 1,200 square feet. Customers who sit at the end of the bar have a front-row seat to the main attraction: a w...

Educating servers can keep customers satisfied and increase check averages   Restaurant customers ask many questions, ranging from “What’s the special?” to “Is there gluten in the salad dressing?” Servers need to be educated so they ca...